TY - JOUR AU - Oberste, M. Steven AU - Gotuzzo, Eduardo AU - Blair, Patrick AU - Nix, W. Allan AU - Ksiazek, Thomas G. AU - Comer, James A. AU - Rollin, Pierre AU - Goldsmith, Cynthia S. AU - Olson, James AU - Kochel, Tadeusz J. T1 - Human Febrile Illness Caused by Encephalomyocarditis Virus Infection, Peru T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2009 VL - 15 IS - 4 SP - 640 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Etiologic studies of acute febrile disease were conducted in sites across South America, including Cusco and Iquitos, Peru. Patients’ clinical signs and symptoms were recorded, and acute- and convalescent-phase serum samples were obtained for serologic examination and virus isolation in Vero E6 and C6/36 cells. Virus isolated in Vero E6 cells was identified as encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) by electron microscopy and by subsequent molecular diagnostic testing of samples from 2 febrile patients with nausea, headache, and dyspnea. The virus was recovered from acute-phase serum samples from both case-patients and identified with cardiovirus-specific reverse transcription–PCR and sequencing. Serum samples from case-patient 1 showed cardiovirus antibody by immunoglobulin M ELISA (acute phase <8, convalescent phase >1,024) and by neutralization assay (acute phase <10, convalescent phase >1,280). Serum samples from case-patient 2 did not contain antibodies detectable by either assay. Detection of virus in serum strongly supports a role for EMCV in human infection and febrile illness. KW - Picornavirus KW - cardiovirus KW - encephalomyocarditis virus KW - febrile illness KW - human infections KW - Peru KW - research DO - 10.3201/eid1504.081428 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/15/4/08-1428_article ER - End of Reference